The Portland daily press., 1887-02-16
THE TRoTTINc QUEEN.
Maud S. Is Still Able to Beat Any
Horse in the World.

''fhere was no time last summer when
Maud S. could not have beaten her record if
given week or so Of sharp training" said
Robert Bonner, the owner of the fast mare.
to q reporter Of the New York Commercial.
"The mares present condition is excellent.
She is in perfect health, and takes walk
with Murphy every day. We have not trot-
ted her any this winter. You see she is too
valuable horse to run the risk of iniuling
her on the rough and slippery roads of win
ter A horse can't be driven in rough wealth.
er without corks on the shoes, These ele
vate the feet so that in uneven places the
ankle Is liable to turn and be sprained So
that the only exercise Maud S. has had dur
ing tue cold weather is daily walk. AS we
did last year,. we will begin jogging her ON
Feb. 22d. About that time the frost is suffi-
GENTLY out of the ground to permit a horse
to be driven without corks"
"Will you make her try to beat her record
during the coming season."
Not unless her record is approached by
some other horse. There is no use In maxi
ing horse tear itself to pieces. Her record
Is 20o9. During the last two seasons there
was an unusually large number of promising
young horses brought to the front. We have
raised so many trotting horses OF late wears
that some good records are likely 10 be made.
For that reason have kept Maud S. in con-
dltion, so that, if her record was approached
by any other horse, we could. with little
training, send her beyond it, Yet there
hasn't been horse in 1885 or 1886 which has
beaten the record made by Rarus 10 wears
ago-2.1s4. In all that time Rarus has been
beaten only by two horses, st. Julien and
Jay-Eye-See. Otherwise the nearest APP
proach to Rarus' record in the last two wears
was made last summer by Harry Wilkes,
when he trotted in 2.12a It's enough salts,
faction for the present to know that Maud S.
can beat any horse in the world 7 have
driven her myself to road wagon in 2145,
the fastest time ever made with wagon
Mr.. Vanderbilt drove her and Aldine in
2.155. That was the fastest time ever made
by double team
What were your sensations when you
drove her in 2.144?"
They were altogether pleasant / don't
think there is any more danger in riding fast
than In riding slow. If an accident happens
In either case, the chances of escape are very
slim. Years ago there were four of us pub
fishers who were fond of horses. Col. John
Harper and drove fast ones, and James
Harper and Mr.. Tousey drove slow ones.
james Harper was thrown out on Fifth Ave
nue., carried to St Lukes hospital, and In a
few days died Tousey was thrown out in
central Park ana was badly broken up, but
he recovered. John Harper and never had
any accidents"
"Do you think any horse will ever beat
Your mare?"
"Some people say her record will never be
beaten. don't agree with them. In the
first place, she can beat it herself. Then |
believe the record will, after awhile, be cut
down to 2.06, or near that. | think it will
never get down to two minutes. Horses are
flesh and blood, and the severe training nee
essary TO make fast trotters Injuries too many
OF them before very low figures are reached.
1t Is the high speed that kills. A horse must
trot thousands of miles in about 214 before
It can trot one in 30. This pace is liable to
ilnlure them in so many different ways that
lew escape the severe training unhurt. Yet
the tretting average gets better all the time.
When 1t becomes necessary to reduce Maud
SIS record you may be sure it will be done"